Audiences will be treated to a rare opportunity when they hear three generations of Indian classical musicians bring their ragas and meditative music to the stage in Lund.
Sitar legends Pandit Shivnath and his son Deobrat, together with Shivnath’s grandson Prashant, who plays the tablas, are the Mishras. Tablas are Indian hand drums and an intricate part of classical ragas or songs. Shivnath first brought his music and culture to the international stage in 1979 with tours in Europe and Japan. Since 1999 he has visited Canada and the United States several times.
Pam Begbie is organizing the Lund concert date. She first met the Mishras several years ago when they were on tour through southern BC. She was so impressed with the music she heard she bought one of their CDs and left her email address. Little did she know that this would be a life-altering decision that would take her to the Himalayan foothills to study classical dance and singing.
“They had been music teachers in Varanasi for generations and they were opening a new school there,” explained Begbie. “They were looking for students from around the world to be their first set of international students.”
The newly built Academy of Music in Benares teaches sitar, tabla, dance, singing and a variety of instruments, she said.
In 2008 Begbie travelled to the Northern Indian city of Varanasi to study at the new school for a semester. “It was great,” she said.
The Mishras will be playing two shows, both starting at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, May 28, and Wednesday, May 29, at Lund Community Centre on Larsen Road. Doors open at 7 pm. Tickets are available at Breakwater Books and Coffee and Lund General Store and are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.
